Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/701



Introduction

Welcome to the first installment of the CPU and Video Card Price guide for January 2001. We publish this article to help you, the consumer, find the best deals on the internet. All the tedious work like finding the best prices and locating reputable retailers has already been done so all one has to do is figure out what product is right for them. As always we encourage the reader to investigate every retailer's reliability before ordering, but we have eliminated typically problematic ones from our price guides.

If you encounter any problems with a vendor on our list, please email us, and we will take appropriate action. Remember that we will only list vendors with positive customer feedback. If you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to let us know.

Also be sure to check out AnandTech's Hot Deals Forum for even more great CPU, video card and other technology buys.

Disclaimer

AnandTech does not endorse any vendor listed in the following price guide. AnandTech does not receive any advertising fees or/and sponsorship contracts from the listed vendors. All views expressed by listed vendors do not reflect the opinions of AnandTech.

AnandTech, nor any of the vendors mentioned guarantee that the prices listed in this guide.

This Week

With the new year (and new millennium) finally here, we see that CPU and video card prices are on par with prices back in December. However, the low end CPU market is seeing a lot of action from both Intel and AMD.

Intel is finally showing the true colors of its Celeron line of processors by introducing their 800MHz part, which is the first Celeron to officially support a 100MHz FSB. Users will notice a significant performance boost over the older, 66MHz FSB Celerons. However, because this processor is still very new, prices for it are quite high compared to other Celerons and even some Pentium IIIs.

Hot on the heals of Intel, AMD released the latest model of its "low-end" Duron processor, clocking in at 850MHz. Those still looking to buy a 133MHz based Thunderbird are out of luck again this week as these processors are nowhere to be found on the open market.

This week, 3dfx and Matrox cards remain virtually unchanged in price, while ATI Radeons and NVIDA GeForce2s are hotter than ever.



Intel CPUs

AnandTech Weekly CPU Prices - Intel
CPU Price Change Vendor Shipping Promotion
Pentium 4 - 1.5GHz (400)
$849
$0
$0
OEM
Pentium 4 - 1.4GHz (400)
$591
$2
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 1.0GHz (133)
$418
$21
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 933MHz (133)
$289
$5
$10
OEM
Pentium III - 866MHz (133)
$210
$5
$9
OEM
Pentium III - 850MHz (100)
$214
$3
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 800MHz (133)
$180
$2
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 800MHz (100)
$184
$2
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 750MHz (100)
$163
$2
$10
OEM
Pentium III - 733MHz (133)
$155
$7
$9
OEM
Pentium III - 700MHz (100)
$145
$2
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 667MHz (133)
$129
$1
$9
OEM
Pentium III - 650MHz (100)
$135
$3
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 600MHz (E-133)
$121
$6
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 600MHz (E-100)
$122
$1
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 550MHz (E-100)
$123
$2
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 500MHz (E-100)
$120
$0
$10
OEM
Celeron 800 FC-PGA
$204
$0
$9
 
Celeron 766 FC-PGA
$153
$7
$11
OEM
Celeron 733 FC-PGA
$113
$1
$11
OEM
Celeron 700 FC-PGA
$80
$4
$10
OEM
Celeron 667 FC-PGA
$73
$6
$10
OEM
Celeron 633 FC-PGA
$68
$1
$8
OEM
Celeron 600 FC-PGA
$62
$2
$11
OEM
Celeron 566 FC-PGA
$58
$4
$10
OEM
Celeron 533 FC-PGA
$58
$8
$11
OEM

There hasn't been much action in the Pentium 4 arena so far in 2001. The 1.4GHz Pentium 4 is still significantly cheaper than its 1.5GHz counterpart making it a better bargain for the high end market. However the RDRAM and motherboards needed for the Pentium 4 are still very expensive and impractical for most users. The 1.3GHz Pentium 4 seen in some high end Dell systems still has not been publicly released therefore it may be some time before we see another significant drop in Pentium 4 prices.

The prices of the Pentium III line has not changed much over the last two weeks. With the price of the Pentium 4 still unreasonably high, Pentium III prices have no reason to drop further. The 1.0GHz Pentium III showed the largest drop in price this week. However, it is still quite a bit more expensive than the 933MHz part. Those looking for an overclocking bargain should take note of the 700MHz Pentium III which has dropped $7 in price.

There is good news for all the Celeron lovers out there. Intel has finally released the Celeron 800MHz which now uses the 100MHz FSB. However, because this processor is so new, its price is very high compared to the 66MHz counterparts. The consumer should note that a 800MHz Pentium III running a 133MHz FSB and with double the L2 cache can be found $20 cheaper than the Celeron 800MHz. For the rest of the Celeron line of processors, prices have dropped steadily. The most popular Celerons among retailers, the 733MHz and 766MHz, are still priced significantly higher than the lower clocked models. As the 100MHz FSB Celerons become more popular, expect the 66MHz parts to drop in price.

Related Reviews

Make sure you check out our latest Intel Pentium III Coppermine and Intel Celeron FC-PGA reviews for more information.

Pentium III Reviews Publication Date
Intel Pentium 4 1.4GHz & 1.5GHz November 20th, 2000
Intel Pentium III 1.13GHz (1133MHz) July 31st, 2000
Intel Pentium III 933 May 24th, 2000
Intel Pentium III 866, 850 March 20th, 2000
Intel Pentium III 1GHz March 8th, 2000
Intel Pentium III 800 & 750 "Coppermine" December 20th, 1999
Intel Pentium III E FC-PGA (Socket-370) October 26th, 1999
Intel Pentium III E "Coppermine" (Slot-1) October 25th, 1999

 

Celeron Reviews Publication Date
Intel Celeron 800 January 3rd, 2001
Intel Celeron 700 June 26th, 2000
Overclocking the FC-PGA Celeron April 17th, 2000
Intel Celeron 600 "Coppermine128" March 29th, 2000


AMD CPUs

AnandTech Weekly CPU Prices - AMD
CPU Price Change Vendor Shipping Promotion
Athlon Thunderbird 1.2GHz
$266
$8
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 1.1GHz
$223
$8
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 1.0GHz
$177
$5
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 950MHz
$156
$5
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 900MHz
$130
$10
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 850MHz
$102
$15
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 800MHz
$101
$6
$10
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 750MHz
$90
$7
$10
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 700MHz
$88
$4
$11
Athlon 1.0GHz
$268
$19
$11
OEM
Athlon 950MHz
$138
$13
$9
OEM
Athlon 900MHz
$123
$8
$9
OEM
Athlon 850MHz
$114
$15
$11
OEM
Athlon 800MHz
$107
$12
$11
OEM
Athlon 750MHz
$83
$6
$11
OEM
Athlon 700MHz
$78
$3
$11
OEM
Athlon 650MHz
$67
$2
$11
OEM
Athlon 600MHz
$71
$2
$11
OEM
Athlon 550MHz
$49
$11
$19
OEM
Athlon 500MHz
$62
$5
$12
OEM
Duron 850MHz
$106
NA
$7
OEM
Duron 800MHz
$74
$1
$8
OEM
Duron 750MHz
$62
$3
$11
OEM
Duron 700MHz
$51
$3
$10
OEM
Duron 650MHz
$41
$4
$10
OEM
Duron 600MHz
$47
$2
$11
OEM


Prices in the Thunderbird category have shown little change this week. The 1.0GHz Thunderbird is the best overall processor in terms of price and performance, especially when compared to Intel's counterpart. Another hot deal is the 850MHz part which is very close to the $100 mark. Those looking for AMD's high end 133MHz line of Thunderbirds are out of luck once again as they are still nowhere to be found this week.

If you are still using an older Slot-A based system looking to upgrade then the "classic" Athlons might be your answer. The 950MHz part is an excellent value at just under $140. Most Slot-A boards can be made to use the higher speed Athlons with a simple BIOS upgrade.

Even with Intel's new 800MHz Celeron out on the market, the AMD Duron is still a better buy in terms of price and performance. This week, the new Duron 850MHz parts have started showing up on the market in larger numbers. However because this processor is so new its price is quite high compared the other Durons. For those who don't mind overclocking, the Duron 650MHz can now be found at around $40 and will probably hit 850-950 MHz easily.

However a low-cost processor does not always mean a low-cost system, especially in the Duron's case. The only motherboards available for the Duron are the same ones available for the Thunderbirds; most of which sell for over $120. There is currently no Intel i810 equivalent for AMD processors, so those looking for a truly low-cost system may have to look elsewhere, as SiS 730S and KM133 boards are not available just yet.

Related Reviews

Make sure you check out our latest Athlon and Duron reviews for more information.

Athlon Reviews Publication Date
AMD's 760 Chipset: DDR for the Athlon is here October 30th, 2000
ALi MAGiK 1: The Athlon gets a second DDR platform November 29th, 2000
AMD Athlon "Thunderbird" 1.2GHz & Duron 800MHz October 17th, 2000
DDR SDRAM - AMD Athlon Performance Preview September 14th, 2000
AMD Athlon "Thunderbird" 1.1GHz August 28th, 2000
AMD Athlon "Thunderbird" 1 GHz / 800 MHz June 4th, 2000
AMD Athlon 1GHz, 950MHz, 900MHz March 6th, 2000
AMD Athlon 850 February 14th, 2000
AMD Athlon 800 December 20th, 1999
AMD Athlon 750 November 29th, 1999
AMD Athlon 700 October 4th, 1999
AMD Athlon August 9th, 1999

Duron Reviews Publication Date
AMD Duron 850MHz January 8th, 2001
AMD Duron 800MHz October 17th, 2000 12:56 AM
AMD Duron 750 September 5th, 2000 12:00 PM
AMD Duron June 19th, 2000 12:00 PM


Video Cards

AnandTech Weekly Video Card Prices
Video Card Model Price Change Vendor Shipping Promotion
3dfx Voodoo5 5500 AGP
$170
$0
$6
 
3dfx Voodoo5 5500 PCI
$193
$14
$6
 
3dfx Voodoo4 4500 AGP
$109
$0
$6
 
3dfx Voodoo4 4500 PCI
$120
$0
$6
 
3dfx Voodoo3 3500TV AGP
$135
$0
?
 
ATI RADEON 64MB DDR
$214
$14
$12
 
ATI RADEON 32MB DDR
$118
$17
$0
Free Shipping
ATI RADEON 32MB SDR
$127
$0
$9
 
ATI RADEON ALL-IN-WONDER
$239
$1
$12
 
NVIDIA GeForce2 ULTRA 64MB
$380
$19
$0
Free Shipping
NVIDIA GeForce2 PRO 64MB
$277
$8
$10
 
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 64MB
$255
$0
$12
 
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 32MB
$111
$48
$9
 
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 32MB VIVO (ASUS V7700 Deluxe)
$219
$31
$12
 
NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 32MB
$87
$0
$10
 
Matrox G450 32MB
$125
$4
$15
 
Matrox G400 32MB
$109
$0
?
 
Matrox G400 DualHead
$143
$6
$4
 

The reader should note that 3dfx will soon cease to exist and, as such, will not be able to support their cards properly. Please buy a Voodoo card at your own risk. The PCI and AGP versions of the Voodoo5 5500 are starting to separate more in price than in previous weeks. The gap between the two products is now up to $23, however if you have a motherboard without an AGP slot this may be a solution worth the premium price. The prices of the entry level Voodoo 4500 cards have not changed over the past two weeks.

ATI's DDR Radeon cards continue their downward price trend from two weeks ago. The Radeon 64MB DDR dropped another $14 making it $41 cheaper than an 64MB NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS . The Radeon 32MB DDR is now $9 cheaper than the SDR equivalent. With the significant performance increase gained by using DDR memory, there is no reason one should take the Radeon 32MB SDR over the DDR at this point in time. The Radeon 32MB SDR obviously has not been selling as well as expected which accounts for the lack in price change.

The GeForce2 Ultra has dropped slightly in price this week making the fastest video card on the market a little more affordable. The prices of the GeForce2 GTS 64MB and the Pro remain relatively unchanged. For a high-end card, the Pro remains a better value in the long run over the GTS because of its faster memory. The 32MB GeForce2 GTS has dropped nearly $50 making it only $24 more expensive than the GeForce2 MX. The GeForce2 GTS VIVO cards saw a $31 price increase this week, pushing it back into the $200 price range after its previous drop. NVIDIA's GeForce2 MX, although unchanged in price, is an excellence value, however people looking to get the fastest performance for their money may want to spend a little extra for the 32MB GTS.

Matrox's line of cards have also remained relatively unchanged this week.

Related Reviews

Make sure you check out our latest video card reviews for more information.

Video Card Reviews Publication Date
3dfx Voodoo5 5500AGP
July 11th, 2000
3dfx Voodoo5 5500PCI August 4th, 2000
3dfx Voodoo4 4500AGP
October 23rd, 2000
ATI Radeon 64MB DDR
July 17th, 2000
ATI Radeon 32MB SDR
October 13th, 2000
NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS 32MB
April 26th, 2000
NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS 64MB
June 21st, 2000
NVIDIA GeForce2 Pro 64MB December 5th, 2000
NVIDIA GeForce2 Ultra
August 14th, 2000
NVIDIA GeForce2 MX
June 28th, 2000
ASUS V7700 Deluxe (32MB GeForce2 GTS VIVO)
November 3rd, 2000
Matrox Millennium G400 & G400MAX
May 20th, 1999
Matrox Millennium G450
September 5th, 2000

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